Frame assemblies for awning, canopy, or side enclosure systems may be free-standing or mounted to the wall or frame of a building and generally have struts or ribs which are joined at their ends to a cross rib or rail so as to create a support for stretching and holding an awning, canopy or cover thereon. In conventional systems, the cross rib and ribs or struts are manufactured in fixed lengths and must be welded together at the installation site. This makes it difficult to adapt the awning structure to different sizes of storefronts or areas to be covered. One proposed system, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,605 to Milliken et al., avoids the problem of fixed sizes by providing tubular rails and support arms which can be cut to the desired dimensions and welded together at the building site. However, welding of the awning structure requires that welding equipment be available, thereby making installation of the awning inconvenient.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a frame assembly for an awning or canopy which is readily adaptable to different lengths and sizes and is capable of installation without the need for any welding.